First Car Buyers Guide

Manufacturer’s warranty – with some manufacturer’s offering up to 7 years warranty on new models you have that piece of mind should anything go wrong in the first few years.

First Owner – You are the only person who has ever owned this car therefore you don’t need to be concerned about service history or how a previous owner handled the vehicle.

Specification of car – You can add to the design of your car, you can choose the colour, trim, seat material and any other extras that may be on offer.

Technology – you will get the most up to date technology

Financial deals – buying new gives additional financial option, to allow you to pay your car off over a longer period of time.

Supply and Demand – with the current high demand and low stock of used vehicles, you may find that buying new is not that much more expensive than buying used.

Cheaper to buy – In theory used cars should be cheaper than new cars, so be sure to compare your new and used car prices.

Budget – The used car market should have a vehicle to suit every budget.

Car Warranty – if buying from a dealer you should get 6 months warranty which will give you enough time to highlight any issues, you will also have more rights if you buy from a used car dealer rather than buying private. If a car develops a fault within the first 30 days of purchase, it is under statutory warranty and the buyer can simply reject it and return it to the dealer for a refund.

No instant depreciation – the first owner of the car will have taken this hit, the largest depreciation happens when first bought and then it slowly reduces over the period of ownership.

You get your car instantly –   your car is built, and good to go, you don’t need to wait on a manufacturer’s order list.

When looking at a used car take a mechanic or someone who know cars to give the car a quick ‘once over’ ensuring you are getting what you are paying for.

With the current fuel situation, you are going to want a car that will get as many miles to the gallon as possible. This doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style. There are many fuel-efficient cars available, both new and used. The Energy Trust have created a handy tool to help you, enter the details of the car you are interested in and it will provide you with all they statistics you need to assist you in making the right choice. www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/tool/buying-fuel-efficient-vehicle/

Buying an electric car is the most logical choice to save fuel, for obvious reasons.

Applegreen, sponsors of our safe motoring pledge, have created a handy guide to saving on your fuel costs.

With the current fuel situation, you are going to want a car that will get as many miles to the gallon as possible. This doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style. There are many fuel-efficient cars available, both new and used. The Energy Trust have created a handy tool to help you, enter the details of the car you are interested in and it will provide you with all they statistics you need to assist you in making the right choice. www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/tool/buying-fuel-efficient-vehicle/

Buying an electric car is the most logical choice to save fuel, for obvious reasons.

Applegreen, sponsors of our safe motoring pledge, have created a handy guide to saving on your fuel costs.

You may be lucky enough to have a generous parent, but unfortunately most of you will have to finance your own car purchases.

Use price comparison sites to search out the best financial deal, the finance offer which the new or used car garage is offering may not always the best.

This is the fun part.

Utilise the internet, there are a lot of impartial websites selling car on behalf of private and commercial sellers. Check out the reviews on the vehicles there are lots of websites delving into a lot of detail on your preferred models including fuel economy, capacity, performance, etc.

Make sure you test drive before you buy, this will give you a good feel for the car and if it’s a right fit for you and your lifestyle.

There is no point in setting your sights on your dream car if you can’t afford the insurance, so get a quote before you buy.

Be sure to give the exact car details when speaking to your insurance company, if buying used give the car number plate, this way the insurer can retrieve the exact car details from the DLA and give you an accurate quote.

A telematics device is a good way to hopefully reduce your insurance costs, check out our handy guide on telematics for more information.

Remember is the car is modified in any way from the manufacturers specification your insurance company needs to know about it.

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